Métis Origin: Born of the fur trade

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, European fur trade companies relied on complex networks of trading posts to do business. Initially, both the European traders and the Aboriginal individuals often met seasonally, at which time the exchange of goods would take place. European traders would exchange their goods for furs at these posts before returning long distances to collect more goods and deliver the furs they had traded for (Belshaw, 2015). 

Aboriginal people would deliver their furs to these posts before returning to their own communities (Belshaw, 2015). With time, some European fur traders began to have relationships with Aboriginal women. These relationships were advantageous for both parties, as they provided more trade certainty, the exchange of knowledge, and more access to trade goods. The Aboriginal women had knowledge of the land that aided the traders in their survival though cold winters and long travel distances (Government of Canada, 2024). These relationships were also beneficial in guaranteeing continual trade relations with the Aboriginal communities to which these women belonged. These relationships were also very beneficial for the Aboriginal women, who sought increased access to trade goods and tools provided by the fur traders (Belshaw, 2015). These relationships resulted in many children being born of fur trade families. Over time, as fur‑trade families grew, their children formed distinct communities where shared culture, language, and traditions developed.

The development of these communities, practices, and cultures gave way to the origin of the Métis.

Parks Canada. (2024). The women – The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site. https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/lachine/culture/histoire-history/personnages-people/femmes-women

Belshaw, J. (2015). Canadian history: Pre-Confederation. BCcampus Open Publishing. https://opentextbc.ca/preconfederation/front-matter/about-the-book/